Video: Johnny Moore is Wanting a New Election

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The results of the Starkville mayor’s race are upheld Tuesday.

The Democratic Executive Committee voted to confirm the certified results of the election.

In the May primary run-off, Lynn Spruill defeated Johnny Moore by six votes.

On Friday, Moore contested the results, asking the committee for a formal hearing.

On Monday, Moore changed his mind about the hearing, filing instead in circuit court for a new election, but the election committee went forward with today’s scheduled hearing.

Johnny Moore wants a new election and today, his supporters and his legal advisor asked members of the Democratic Executive Committee to recuse themselves.

“We believe there is bias in the committee, as the chairman has certainly posted several things on social media that are kind of derogatory toward our candidate, so we knew the committee had been tainted and biased by that,” says attorney William Starks.

Starks represents Moore and he asked the committee to look at the election on Friday, but today, he said that did not leave them enough time.

“Didn’t have the time to wait because the deadline was today, to file, and the court took jurisdiction in our opinion and I believe it according to state law and so we just asked the committee to adjourn and not issue a ruling because it’s automatically superseded by the filing of this petition, so it was useless.”

Lynn Spruill’s attorney Jim Mozingo says by law, you can’t jump ahead.

“State law says that they’re suppose to consider it first and you cant just go jump directly to circuit court. You really need to give the committee an opportunity to do it. State law gives me short period of time, they agreed to do it in that period of time, and the committee never found that it couldn’t complete its work within that period of time.”

Mozingo says they’re prepared to go forward and resolve any dispute in the courtroom.

“I’ll tell you that I think it’s perhaps a little premature of me to say this, but I think it’s likely, if they continue this action to circuit court, that we’ll be filing an early motion to dismiss.”

State law requires that a judge from outside the district preside cases like this one.

The state supreme court is expected to appoint a special judge soon.

Spruill will be sworn into office on July 1st.